It's my mom's 75th birthday and I have a great gift planned. Help me figure out how to present it!

My mom is turning 75 in December. My gift to her will be a trip anywhere in the world she wants to go. I am trying to think of a good way to present this gift to her.

My mom was a housewife and raised a bunch of kids throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s. She was raised Catholic so she had the kind of life that was expected of her but she always has had a little independent streak. She got involved in politics and served on the town council, likes to write witty letters to the editor, and stuff like that.

I know that she like to travel but she doesn't do it much anymore because my dad refuses to fly and he also has pain in his legs so he doesn't like to walk around much. So, I had the idea to offer to take her on a trip, just the two of us.

The icing on the cake was when I talked to her on my birthday and she admitted that I lived the kind of life that she had always wanted to live (on my own terms, in her words). She doesn't talk like that normally, so it was very touching.

Gift-wise I did something similar for her 70th where I got her an introductory flight at a flight school, because she had always wanted to learn to fly. I think I just put the certificate in a box. I want to come up with a really great way to present this gift. I thought of printing out a fake ticket and putting in one of those ticket sleeves you get at the airport. Or maybe buy her a travel toiletry bag and put the ticket inside it.

For extra credit, Mom has a tradition of presenting intangible gifts (gift cards or things that haven't arrived yet) with a short poem. She spends alot of time writing these little poems. I could use some help with that.

If not a globe, maybe try to find an atlas or a map from the year she was born? You can add a current one as well, I think the old one may be cool enough though.posted by kellyblah at 8:36 PM on November 10, 2012

I have absolutely no idea as to how to present this, but wanted to state that this is a most wonderful gift, good for you for giving such a generous opportunity.posted by HuronBob at 8:41 PM on November 10, 2012 [10 favorites]

How about making up a small certificate/voucher (complete with poem) and putting it into an empty travel sized bottle (the 100ml ones)? She might be needing some of them!

What a great gift. I hope you both have the trip of a lifetime!posted by just_ducky at 9:13 PM on November 10, 2012

Give her a suitcase, travel toiletry kit, inflatable neck pillow, etc -- all the accessories needed for travel. She'll get that it's all about a trip, and when she says, "But where are we going?" you can say, "I don't know. You tell me!"posted by BlahLaLa at 9:15 PM on November 10, 2012 [1 favorite]

How about a beautiful passport holder?posted by acidic at 9:20 PM on November 10, 2012

That's awesome! I did something similar for my anglophile mother (so it wasn't anywhere in the world, it was England specifically) and I designed a little card. She opened that last, though, and before that I gave her some English-centric gifts.

(The below is a little stream of consciousness, so apologies if it's a little scattered)
Perhaps you could do something similar but make a small sampling of things from a bunch of different places (trinkets, food, candy, beverages), or maybe think of 7 gifts to represent each continent and present them in a cute way, like in a globe, use maps for wrapping paper, or a suitcase. Perhaps papier mache for a globe? Or getting a cheap globe and cutting it open? Depending on your level of craftiness. And / or you could get her travel oriented items such as luggage tags, passport holder, etc (check out flight001 for fun travel stuff).

Or you could try to collect some postcards from other countries (not sure how difficult this will be, or try making them by picking out pictures and printing them out on card stock) and maybe write something heart-felt on them (or if you're feeling uninspired maybe find some good quotes about traveling or living life on your own terms). You could either give them all as one thing or even just mail them one at a time leading up to the birthday (unless it would seem weird / potentially ruin the surprise).

Or you could get her a travel-oriented journal (for her to use on the trip) and write an inscription.

I love the suitcase idea. Get a small, vintage one something like this. (It doesn't have to be practical -- she can take modern luggage with her. This is about presentation.) Inside, make a mock airline (or cruise ship?) ticket with the destination "Anywhere".posted by trip and a half at 9:45 PM on November 10, 2012

Just_Ducky made me think of putting the poem (I like The Places You Will Go idea) in a glass bottle, an old one with a cork, the kind we let loose before we have the means to travel ourselves.posted by Mertonian at 1:55 AM on November 11, 2012

Great ideas folks! Now I'm thinking I might take the globe idea and knit her a globe. We are both crafters so that adds a different, personal touch.posted by cabingirl at 7:35 PM on November 11, 2012 [2 favorites]

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